The Rut Race

This week on The Revolution with Jim and Trav presented by Outdoor Channel, Sportsman Channel and World Fishing Network, we're in the midst of The Rut Race. Hunters have undoubtedly been impatiently waiting for the rut to roll around and it's now upon us. Mature breeding bucks are actively seeking open does and their visible vagrant behavior is making them quite vulnerable to savvy, opportunistic, sportsmen and women. But, a hunter can’t aimlessly wander into the woods and expect a big ol' slobberknocker to jump into his or her lap. That's why we've rounded up the best hunters, with the right know how and proven tactics, that'll put you directly in the action. Those hunters include: Gordon Whittington of North American Whitetail, Trevon Stoltzfus with Outback Outdoors, Jill Gechter with CINCH and Nissan's very own Steve Parrett.

The rut is on and hunters are holding their breath, hoping to fill their tags. Tune in to The Revolution before you head to your stand for some helpful advice from expert Gordon Whittington. Gordon is the Editor of North American Whitetail magazine and the co-host of North American Whitetail Wednesdays at 8 p.m. ET on Sportsman Channel.

With decades of experience under his belt, Gordon offers his insight into the rut and some misconceptions surrounding it. He’ll begin by discussing whitetail home ranges, travel tendencies and explain why some bucks end up being shot miles away from where they’ve been caught on trail cameras. In this highly active time, Gordon encourages hunters to identify and focus on funnels and pinch points on the property they are hunting and says, “The more you can find an area of restricted travel that they have to pass through, obviously the better your odds are of catching him there.”

While the rut generally showcases highly aggressive behavior from bucks, Gordon says deer have individualized personalities and not all bucks are alpha males. “Quite often the biggest bodied deer are more dominant; they are not always the biggest antlered deer. In fact, some of the biggest antlered deer probably get that way because they’re more submissive and spend more of their time feeding and looking out for themselves.” Find out more about the behavior of rutting bucks and why the removal of a bully buck can make submissive deer more visible during daylight hours. Finally, Gordon talks about the diverse make-up of the hunting community and highlights a story from the November issue of North American Whitetail about a hard core deer hunting nun. Tune in for a highly informational and fun interview with Gordon Whittington.

Trevon Stoltzfus is the co-host of Outback Outdoors on Sportsman Channel. A life-long hunter, Trevon was raised in southern New Mexico where he worked as a hunting guide for elk, mule deer and antelope. Trevon will join The Revolution and tap into his years of experience to hand out tips to hunters hitting the woods this weekend.

Trevon says one of the biggest mistakes hunters can make is to not hunt midday. Many hunters get to the stand early and then head back out so they can have lunch and a nap before they come back for the evening. Trevon says during the rut those hunters are missing out, because 11:00-2:00 is a time you need to be in the stand. He then discusses grunting and rattling and says that they are helpful tools, but to be cautious and not over use them, rattling or grunting constantly can be a deterrent. Finally, as an archery hunter, Trevon talks broadheads and more specifically fixed versus mechanical. Each type of broadhead has its own loyal following, but Trevon says he’s on team mechanical. While many loyal fixed blade hunters cite concerns over failure of the blades to deploy, Trevon contends that the technology that is used to design today’s mechanicals is top notch and makes them worth trying out. Find out why shooting a fixed blade over a mechanical might also mean more work fine tuning and sighting in your bow. Listen to Trevon Stoltzfus now!

Nissan's Steve Parrett joins Jim and Trav to talk bucks, trucks and rodeos. This past December, Steve recounts, how Nissan turned the automobile industry upside down when they launched the all-new Nissan TITAN XD. The Nissan TITAN XD is a beast and built for everyday life, the rigors of a demanding work schedule and the great outdoors, but let's rewind. Nissan heard the cry of adventurous sportsmen and women and they went fast to work on fixing the issues that have been plaguing the American truck segment for too long. Until now, truck owners were only given the option of purchasing a 1/2, 3/4, 1-ton and up, but where did that leave the weekend warriors that needed more than their 1/2 ton had to offer, but couldn't justify tackling the expense and up keep of a 3/4 ton truck? Thus, Nissan combats this issue with the intuitive advent of the TITAN XD, that's proudly championed as a 5/8 ton truck. The TITAN XD with its available 5-liter, 32-valve, turbocharged (forced air) V-8 Cummins diesel engine has an astounding 310 horsepower and 555 pound-feet of torque - talk about brute force. It comes fully equipped with a built in trailer brake control, an integrated gooseneck hitch, spray in bed liner, a Utili-Track Channel System, plus it's Rearview Monitor makes hooking up to a trailer, a snap. The Nissan TITAN XD's amenities are endless and will certainly wow even the most scrutinizing truck enthusiast. Steve also touches on Nissan's current award wins, the redefined and newly crowned "SUV" of Texas, the Armada, and much more. Don't miss this exclusive look into the future of trucks, with Steve Parrett, and how Nissan is leading the charge.

Major League Fishing pro Scott Suggs has relied on the Berkley Surge Shad lure concept for years, using similar designs to capture MLF titles and a $1 million dollar FLW Forrest Cup win. With new features in the Surge Shad, Suggs tells OSG's Lynn Burkhead that even he can find success out on the water!